Shower bath cabinet



April 29, 1952 J. P. HARNER SHOWER BATH CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 16, 1946 w mwuuw I IIIIIIl/llll'I/l/IA III I/fll /l lIl /l'lllInventor L75 5 E H'R/VEEL By @pw 406% Wan/ y Em April 29, 1952 HARNER2,594,645

SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed May 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invefito 7 0 5'E 1564 ENE R April 1952 J. P. HARNER 2,594,645

SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed May 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 j J55 EEC 13N555Patented Apr. 29, v 1952 SHOWER BATH CABINET Joe P, Harner, Nevada, Mo.,assigncr to The W. F. Norman Sheet Metal Mfg. 00., Nevada, Mo.

Application May'16, 1946, Serial No. 670,140

3 Claims.

My invention relates to novel and useful improvements in a shower bathcabinet, and more specifically consists in an improved door and hingearrangement therefor.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a shower bath cabinethaving a door hinge which will not freeze or bind under the conditionsto which it is exposed.

An important purpose of the invention is to devise a shower bath cabinetwherein the doors are normally positioned selectively in either thecomplete open or closed position.

Another important aim of my invention is to afford a door hinge for ashower cabinet which has ample bearing area, is easily attached andwhich may be economically constructed of sheet metal.

Yet another very important intention of the invention is to formulate ina shower cabinet an improved water-tight seal between the doors and thecabinet.

These, together with numerous other objects of the invention, which willbecome later apparent as the following description proceeds, areattained by my device, a preferred embodiment of which has beendisclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating myimproved shower bath cabinet;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially upon theline 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the line3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevational detail view of a hinge strip and door;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail in vertical section, taken substantiallyupon the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail in rear elevation of the hinge strip anda hinge retaining plate;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the detail nate in folded or inturnedtubular vertical columns l6 constituting door jambs. A threshold l8connects the base of the columns I6 while a transverse bracing member 20at the top completes the door frame. A pair of inwardly opening panels22, attached to the door jambs in a manner to be subsequently described,closes in a Water-tight relation with a splash plate 24 extendingupwardly from the threshold l8. A shower spray head 26 is supplied by awater line 28 under control of a valve 36 in a conventional manner.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of hinge plates 32 are secured tothe rear of the front wall l4 and extend the full height of the cabinet,each consistin of a metallic strip having a vertical centralsemi-circular, outwardly bowed groove 34. One vertical marginal edge ofthestrip is turned in upon itself at 36 while the other marginal end isangularly disposed, as at 33 to define a wedge surface. Across its upperand lower extremities, the hinge strips are fiattened at 4!], beingprovided with horizontal slots 42, through which extend bolts 44 forsecuring the strips to the cabinet in laterally adjustable positions.With the hinges attached, the strips are positioned by inserting theirinclined surfaces 38 into the open edges of the tubular columns l6 (seeFigure 2), and are wedged tightly therein, whereupon the bolts 44 aresecured, locking the hinge strips in adjusted position.

A plurality of vertically spaced horizontal hinge slots 46 are locatedin the groove 34 and have their lateral extremities depressed andinclined downwardly from their mid-points as at 48 (Figure 4) The doorpanels 22 are folded back on their vertical edges to form on theiradjacent edges a flattened fold of material at 50 and terminating in atubular bead 52. Their opposite vertical edges are similarly folded backat 54 and terminate in vertical tubular beads 56. The folds 54 arehorizontally slotted at 56 at positions corresponding to those of hingeslots 46, to receive the ends 58 of hinges 66 which are secured theretoby rivets or bolts 62. The hinge comprises an angularly disposed portion64 which extends through and rides upon the convexly curved lower wallof slots 46. At its extremity the hinge is laterally enlarged and rolledupon itself to form cylindrical trunnions 66 which are rotatably andreciprocatingly received in the semi-circular groove 34.

As the door 22 is swung on its hinge 60*, the trunnions 66 will rotatein the semi-cylindrical hinge groove 34 while the angular portion 64will bear upon the lower surface of the hinge slots 46.

As soon as the member 84 passes the mid-point of the slots, the Weightof the door will bias the hinge down the inclined surface and to the extremities 48 of the slots, whereby the doors will normally rest ineither their fully closed or fully open positions. During this lateralmovement of the hinge, it will be evident that the cylindrical trunnionsmove vertically in the groove 34 as the hinge moves up and down theincline to and from the extremities 88. By this reciprocating movement,not only are the doors biased to either extreme of their travel, but thehinge. trunnions and groove are kept free from freezing in position.

The adjacent flattened edges 50 are disposed to overlap each other whenthe panels 22 are closed, either door overlapping the other and forminga water-tight seal therewith.

It will be understood that with the doors and hinges assembled in theabove-mentioned construction, the trunnions 66 being retained in thesemi-circular bearing recesses 34 by the abutting action of the wall 14as shown in Figure 2, an operative device is produced which is suitablefor most purposes. However, in some instances a hinge of superiorstrength and with more positive retention of the hinge trunnions may bepreferred, and for those purposes I provide a hinge retaining strip 68which is bolted or secured in any desired manner, as at 19 to the rearof the hinge strip 82 (see Figure 6). The retaining strip is providedwith a vertical substantially semicylindrical bearing recess 12,generally complementary to the groove 34 and cooperates therewith injournalling the trunnions 66 .during use and is primarily useful inpositioning the hinges in the hinge strip prior to and during assemblyof the invention.

The cabinet of my invention is particularly chara'cterized by itslight-weight, portable construction and may expeditiously be formed oflight-weight metals or plastics. The enclosed hinge construction is wellprotected from damage by the water spray and the doors and splash boardcooperate to render the device Water-tight during operation. The hingeplate 32 slotted at 40 is adapted to form a tight wedge fit with thedoor jamb.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown anddescribed, but may avail myself of any modifications falling within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shower bath cabinet. including a door frame having a pair of doorjambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the sidewalls of said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed ofinturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachablevertical hinge strip secured to each door jarnb and having an edgeseated in said tubular column, a plurality of hinges secured to saidstrip and a door panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hingestrip having a vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein,said hinges having trunnions seated in said groove, a plurality ofhorizontal slots in said semi-cylindrical memher, said hinges extendingthrough and being guided and supported by the walls of said slots, thelower wall of said slots being vertically depressed at their ends tourge said hinges and panels by gravity to alternative open and shutposition.

2. A shower bath cabinet including a door frame having a pair of door jambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the side wallsof said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed ofinturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachablevertical hinge strip secured to each door jamb and having an edge seatedin said tubular column, a plurality of hinges secured to said strip anda door panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hinge striphaving a vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein, saidhinges having trunnions seated in said groove, said hinge strip havingone vertical marginal portion inturned upon itself to form a reinforcingand spacing bead, the othen vertical marginal end portion being inclinedto said first portion, said second portion being wedged into saidtubular column, and securing means for attaching said hinge strip tosaid cabinet.

3. A shower bath cabinet including a door frame having a pair of doorlambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the sidewalls of said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed ofinturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachablevertical hinge strip secured to each door jamb and having an edge seatedin said tubular column, aplurality of hinges secured to said strip and adoor panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hinge strip havinga vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein, said hingeshaving trunnions seated in said groove, said hinge strip having onevertical marginal portion inturned upon itself to form a reinforcing andspacing bead, the other vertical marginal end portion being inclined tosaid first portion, said second portion being wedged into said tubularcolumn, and securing means for attaching said hinge strip to saidcabinet, said securing means comprising flattened upper and lowerterminals of said hinge strip and transverse slots in said flattenedterminals for laterally adjustable attachment to said cabinet.

J OE P. HARNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 193,208 Arnold July 17, 1877407,366 Mix July 23, 1889 444,299 Mills Jan. 6, 1891 919,150 Garber Apr.20, 1909 1,253,798 Dunner Jan. 15, 1 918 1,420,481 Goblet June 20, 19221,659,305 Vance Feb. 14, 1928 1,734,810 Jeffers Nov. 5, 1929 1,748,849Schmidt Feb. 25, 1930 1,776,648 Bates Sept. 23, 1930 2,071,085 NorthFeb. 16, 1937 2,115,816 Koerner May 3, 1938 2,152,746 Levan Apr. 4, 19392,321,118 Zechiel June 8, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country DateFrance 1930

